Electric-railway system.



No. 876,489. ?ATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

' S. B. RAPPLBYE & J. .ILI'DEVINEG ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1906.

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ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILED NOV. 22 1906;

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WITNESSES: WWW

' stirrup SAMUEL B. RAPPLEYE AND JOHN J. DEVINE, OF PHILirDELPlHA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYS'IEJIL Specification of Letters Patent. V

Patented Jan. 1%, i908.

elpplication file e b 22. 1906-- Serial No. 344.546.

of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that type of electric railway in which a third. rail or other continuous current transmitter or conductor is employed.

The object of the invention is to provide a new modeof support for the conductor that will insure peri'ect insulation, safety from accidental contact, protection from rain, snow, ice, and dirt, and economy in installatron.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of one of the track rails, the conductor, the suspension device for the latter, a part of a car-truck and a contact device suspended therefrom and engaging the conductor; 2 is a transverse section of one of the track rails, the conductor, the devices for suspendingand securing the conductor, and a part of the contact device; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a modified construction; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the suspension device of the modification; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the hangers.

is one of the main track rails.

11 is a strip of non-conducting material, preferably that known commercially as fiber. These strips are secured to the track-rails and abutted end to end to form, like the track rails, a continuous structure designed to both support and .protect the The strip 11 is conductor.

Theweb of the track-rail is provided, at suitable intervals, with bolt holes into each of which is inserted a bushing 12 of non-con ducting material forming a boltreceiving orifice corresponoing to a bolt-receiving orifice in the strip 11. Through this orifice extends a bolt 13 provided with a washer 14. of nonconducting-material and a nut 15. secured to the outer face of track-rail and is preferably of shape in cross -section, the strip pwardly and at its outer wardly. The upwardlythe web of the curved edge somewhat do and State of Penn'- through curved part of the strip contacts with the lower outer edge of the head of the trackrail, thus enabling the track-rail itself to re sist the upward strain upon the conductor to which the latter is subjected.

At the highest part of is provided with bolt-receiving orifices to receive the hanger that directly supports the conductor. This hanger consists of the clamp 16 and bolt 17, the hanger being split the longitudinal centers of the clamp and bolt into two parts or halves. The upper part of the bolt the strip the latter 17, when the two halves of the latter are brought together, is.

circular in cross-section and screw threaded, while, the lower part of the bolt is tapered, the end of greater diameter adjoining the clamp 16. The bolt-receiving orifice in the strip 11 is'also tapered, the walls of the orifice converging from bottom to top.

The clamp 16 is of approximate semicylindrical shape in cross-section and is provided, at its lower side edge, with inwardly extending flanges 18 each having a Hat bottom and a convex inner face The conductor 20 is of approximately circular crosssection except that it is provided with two oppositely located grooves 19 having flat bottoms and concave sides; the grooves 19 corresponding in .size and shape with the flanges-18 of the clamp.

0n the bolt 17, between the bracket 16 and strip 11, is a washer 21. Surrounding the bolt 17, and above the strip 11, is an open-topped box-shaped washer 22 of nonconducting material, within which is a nut 23 engaging the threaded upper end of the bolt and passing down upon the washer 22.

To suspend the conductor 20 from the strip 11, the two parts or halves of'the j hanger 16*]? are engaged with the orifices 1 9 inthe conductor 20 and brought together and the bolt 17 carrying the washer 21 insorted from beneath through the orifice in the strip 11. The washer 22 and nut 23 are then applied and thelatter is tightened up until the bolt is securely wedged in the strip orifice. After the conductor is thus secured in position, non-comlucting material 24 is poured into the box-shaped washer 22 until the top of the bolt 17 iscovered, thus enabling the top of the strip'll to he handled without possibility of receiving current from the c onductor, holding the nut from rotation, and preventing any attack by moisture A modification adapted for surface roads and I against the connection between the hanger and strip.

, The contact device is composed of a frame 25, a pair of trolley wheels 26 journaled therein, and a supporting rod 27 suspended from the truck in any suitable known way. In the drawings, the rod is shown as extending through an orifice in. a lug; 28 on the truck 30 and is pressed upwardly by means of a spring 31 coiled about the rod and confined between said lug an d. a nut 29 on the top of the rod.

The foregoing construction is well adapted for use on ele ated railways, but for surface roads it is ordinarily desirable to elevate the conductor some distance from the ground.

also for a double track on which cars run in opposite directions is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. For this purpose an inverted. T-bar 34 is supported between and at some distance above the two tracks and the strips 1. are secured to both sides thereof by means of a bolt 32 and nut The conductors are suspended from the strips 11 by means the same as those hereinbefore (l6SC1-ill)6(l, except that, in place of the washers or boxes 22, is substituted a cross bar 36, composed of non-conducting material and provided, like the washers or boxes 22, with recesses 37, 37 to receive first the nut 23 and then the nonconducting material 24. The cross-bar 36 serves also as a reinforcing strip or brace to take the upward thrust of the trolley. The contact device is the same as that hereinbefore described so far as the frame and wheels are concerned; but a horizontally extending lever 37 pivoted on the truck and pressed by the spring 38, may be substituted for the spring-pressed rod 29.

The T-bar 34is supported from pairs of standards 35 secured at intervals to the tics of the two tracks. The Tbars are abutted end to end to form a continuous bar.

Having now fully described my invention. what I claim'and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric railway system, thecombination with a strip of non-conducting material, of means to support the same at a proximately one end thereof, said strip being bent or curved .10 as to extend upwardly from its point of support and. thence dewn wardly and terminating above the evel of its point of support, the conductor, and a hanger supporting the conductor and extending through the strip, and means securing the hanger to the strip.

2. In an electric railway system, the combination with a strip of non-comluctingmaterial bent or curved to "form a concavity beneath it to receive the conductor of means to support. said strip, a recessed device abo' e the strip, the conductor, a hanger SUPDOPlHlfJ, the conductor, and extending anove the strip into said recess, andtiaon-conducting material in said recess and nvermg the top of the hanger.

tcrial bent or curved to form 'a concavity beneath it to receii e the conductor, of means to support said strip, a recessed device above the strip, a hanger supporting the conductor and extending above the strip into said recess, a nut in said recess engaging the hanger, and non-conducting material in said recess covering the nut and hanger-top.

4. In an electric railway system, the combination with a strip of non-conducting, male'rial bent or curved to form a concavity be ncath it to receive the conductor, of means to support said strip, the conductor, a hanger composed of a two part clamp providedwith. opposing inwardly extending flanges engaging grooves in the conductor, a recessed device above the strip, a bolt connected to the hanger and extending throu h the strip into said recess, a nut on the be t, andnon-conducting material in said recess covering said nut and bolt.

bination with a strip of non-conducting material bent or curved to form a concavity to support said strip, the conductor, ahanger composed of a two part clamp provided with opposing inwardly extending flanges engagin grooves in the conductor, a recessed evice above the strip,,a two part bolt, connected to the clamps respectively, and tapered upwardly and extending strip, a nut in said recess en aging the bolt, and non-conducting materia in said recess covering said nut and bolt;

6. In an electric railway-s *stem, the co-rn bination with strips abutte end to end, of oriiiced supporting means therefor, bushings inserted in said orifices, bolts extending through said bushings and strips, 2. con; ductor, said strips being bent or curved to form a concavity beneath it to receive the conductor, hangers supporting the conductor and extending through said stri)s, and devices above said strip securing the hangers and strip and including non-conducting means surrounding and overlying the parts of the hangers projecting above said strip.

7. In an electric railway system, the combination with a supporting strip and means to which the strip is secured and from which the strip extends outwardly, of the conductor beneath the strip, a hanger supporting the conductor and divided longitudinally into two parts botlroi which extend through l'lho strip, and means above the strip to l clamp the abutting; ends of the hunger parts together and secure them to the strip.

1 S. in an electric railway system, the coin- 3. In an electric railway system, the com- I bination with a strip )f non-conducting ma 5. In an. electric railway system, the com-.

beneath it to receive the conductor oi means through a similarly tapered orifice inthe hination with a supporting strip andnieans To which the strip is secured and from which the strip extends outwardly, of the con- :luetor beneath the strip, a hanger divided l(m iii,u(lilllii into two parts whose lower diverging ends embrace and engage the (onduelor and whose upper ends extend ahove qhe strip and are threaded to form a two- 'part screw, and means above the striprengaging the serev-J-tln-eaded end of the hanger and in: means ol which the two parts of the re clamped togetl'ier and secured to in an electric railway system, the dorm hii Mien with a sup} orting strip and means to whieh the strip secured and from which the strip extends outwardly, of the condnctor he eath the strip, a l'ianger divided longitudinally into two parts Whose diverging lower ends engage the conductor and whose shanks above said lower ends are tapered upwardly and rest within a tapered reees in the strip and whose upper ends,

pro eeting above the strip are screw thread l ed, and means above the strip engaging the screw threaded ends of the hanger and by ineansot which the hanger is drawn upwardly and the lower ends thereof drawn toward each other.

10. In an electric railway system, the combination with one of the track rails, of a strip of insulating material secured to the web of the rail and bent or curved upwardly to contact with the rail head and thence outwardly substantially beyond or outside the rail head, a conductor beneath the part of the strip extending beyond the rail head, and a hanger engaging the last named part of the strip and supporting the conductor.

In testimony of which invention, we have hereunto set our hands, at Philadelphia, on this 12th day of November, 1906.

' SAMUEL RAPPLEYE.

JOHN JUIHCV'INIC.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. Br'ssnn, M. M. HAMILTON. 

